Customer Reviews

Bosch : SHX98M09UC Integra 800 Series 24 Undercounter Dishwasher - Stainless Steel w/Display

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Every year my wife and I buy something for the house as an anniversary present to each other. This year we decided to replace our aging GE Potscrubber 900 dishwasher.

I research the heck out of major purchases, and one of my friends used to work at an appliance store, so I quickly found Bosch had possibly the best reputation for dishwashers.

After deciding to go with Bosch, it was just a question of which model.

After looking over the choices, it boiled down to this one, or one model below. This one was quieter, and more energy efficient. Electric rates in Connecticut are high enough that I expect to make up the cost difference between the two models with electricity savings.

So much for how I got here. Here's information from using it:

It's incredibly quiet - the "noise level" when it's running is about what you'd expect from a new refrigerator. Noise is not going to be a reason to postpone running this one.

The racks have all sorts of adjustments - most of the tines can be set at several angles ranging from 90 degrees to flat. Have extra bowls to wash? - adjust a few tines. The top rack can be adjusted for height - this allows me to fit the massive pot I use for brewing beer in the lower rack.

The silverware basket keeps the silverware separated so each item gets clean.

It has a gentle cycle that's good for delicate china and stemware. I was sorry to find the stemware holder is an optional accessory. We don't drink wine often, but it's about the only thing that seems to be missing.

So far everything we've put through this dishwasher has come out clean on one cycle. With our previous dishwasher, sometimes we'd need to soak and scrub some things before putting them through a second run. I'm using about half the soap I used to use per load because it doesn't have (or need) a prewash cup for soap.

The run time is longer than we were used to with our previous dishwasher. From my research I've found this is normal with more efficient dishwashers. Our longest cycle so far was 2 hours 25 minutes, and that was auto wash for a very full load with a sanitary cycle. They also offer a "party wash" cycle that's designed to be very fast for lightly soiled glasses or dishes.

You should use jetdry or a drying agent on every load. One reason it's so energy efficient is it doesn't normally add heat for drying. (but you can tell it to add heat if you want) Still, with using jetdry, the dishes are always dry when we check.

We expect to be in this house for many years, and looked at this appliance as a long term investment. So far, it looks like it was a good one.

Looks good and is so quiet it has a little red LED that shiones on the floor to let you know that it is washing.

BUT...
Bosch customer service is horrible. The worst I have come across in 52 years.

The electronics are failure prone. We have had the dishwasher for 3 years and have had the control module fail 3 times. Each time it took a minimum of 3 service visits to get it replaced. The excuse we have heard each time is that Bosch dishwashers are relatively unknown and the parts are hard to get. The first time the electronics failed, it took 3 MONTHS to get it repaired and we are in a major metro area with a population of 4 million.

We will not purchase a Bosch dishwasher again, and when it fails next, we will buy CR's top rated Kenmore, which ios $1,000 cheaper and apparently much more reliable.

We remodeled our kitchen and purchased this particular Bosch because it seemed like a great machine and there were some good reviews - I decided to ignore the bad reviews thinking the complainers were just unhappy people. Well, now it is 3 months later and my dishes are not drying, the door is not functioning (it's floppy), and it is leaking all over my hardwood floors! (sorry complainers, i should have listened) I suspect all of these problems are related to each other, because it makes sense logically, but getting someone to come out and fix it has been awful - and I live in the Metro DC area where you would think there'd be a lot of companies who would service Bosch when they are under warranty. Apparently many of the companies don't like to take warranty work (i'm sure the fee schedule is not very good for them) so its been a challenge. Only one company has been somewhat polite to me while I seek repair, and I'm going with them. In addition, and not related to the fact that it is broken, I think I underestimated how small this dishwasher actually is inside. It's very small, I can't fit nearly as much, and I am very good at loading so as to maximize use of the entire space. Nobody had this model on the floor, and since it was so expensive, I figured it would be larger inside than the others I did see. I'm not a fan of the silverware basket either, its awkward to use and fits very little. There was also this tray thing at the top that I can't figure out what it is for, and it is annoying. Maybe I need to read about what it is in the book. I will say that it is definitely quiet - you can barely hear it - that is rather amazing. I also think the red light is nice. Overall, I think I could have done better and spent far less and next time I will do a better job researching. Now, if I can just get this fixed!!

The DW looked nice--really quiet, worked fine while it worked. But very poor reliability. Once it fails, you are out of luck. Authorized repair is backlogged (hmmm, I wonder why?), and knows they are the only choice you have. Calls to Bosch are useless-they have your money and will not stand behind their products--they told me "repairs are not our problem!!!" Costs for repairs are outrageous. And 'authorized repair' makes all-day appointments and does not show up or call, and when they finally showed up the 2nd day I took off work, they REPAIRED THE WRONG PART so it still didn't work and I had to miss a 3rd day of work for a single repair! After 2 repairs and needing a 3rd for $500, mine went to the dump and I replaced it with non-Bosch for half the price that cleans as well, actually works, and is 98% as quiet. I bought a Bosch front loading stacked washer about the same time as the DW--same issues--frequent overpriced repairs, poor service, etc. My old DW and washer were over 10 years old with no problems, and my new non-Bosch ones have needed no repairs-- I wouldn't take a Bosch product for free.

We purchased this Bosch dishwasher SHX98M09UC after much Internet research 2 months ago and have used it every day since.

The dishwasher is light enough to be maneuvred into place by one person and the installation was rather simple with the very complete instructions provided. The operation manual is also clear and the controls easy to understand.

The design is stunning: all stainless in the front, with a heavy-duty handle and very nice digital display on the facade, although the actual touch controls are hidden on top of the door. The inside is stainless steel also, great at retaining heat. All accessories are high grades and we appreciate the adjustable top rack and removable silverware holders. As with all stainless appliances, it's hard to keep it looking clean very long as it shows finger prints a lot more than painted appliances.
The drain is covered with an easy-to-remove filter basket that we have not had to empty yet in 2 months of use (I understand some cheaper dishwashers have small "garbage-disposal" instead of a collecting basket, and those can fail or not always work properly as well as being noisy)

It's energy efficient as I understand the drying is performed by the heat retained in the walls of the washer. So far, we have not observed any difference in our electric bill.
I believe it also uses small amounts of water (it's a very small water line going to the washer and a few seconds are always enough to pump enough water for the program. Emptying is also very quick)

The cleanliness of the dishes is good on the Auto Wash program, which we have been using most.
With the recommended drying agent, glasses and fine china come out looking very good with no water spot.
Heavy soiled pots may need a little rinse before the wash, especially with some caked-on food, such as eggs.
Plastic ware comes out OK from the top rack and, with the limited heat of this dishwasher, is not warped.

The main reason why we decided on this washer is the noise rating: the quietest we could find in our price range. And on this point, we were just blown away! The first time we turned it on, we had trouble believing it was running! Our kitchen is open to the living room and now, no need to turn up the volume on the TV when the dishwasher is running (big difference from the old Whirlpool we had before). To me, this only is worth the high price tag!
Even the water emptying into the sink pipes is very quiet.

Before buying, I had considered the equivalent Kenmore Elite (same price) but the noise rating was 4 dB more (3 dB= double the noise!) and the racks a tad flimsier at first look. The Kenmore Elite had more gadgets such as a "turbo wash" nozzle, knife holder and additional washing programs and options. In general, I prefer simpler systems that are reliable and of high quality so I am very happy with this Bosch choice.

I would warmly recommend this appliance if you need a new dishwasher that doesn't rattle and wake you up!
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UPDATE 2010: We have been using the dishwasher for nearly a year now and it's as great as the first day we got it.
The drain basket rarely needs emptying, the dishes are clean and never damaged (especially plastics), the washer is very easy to operate and most of all, it's so quiet it still surprises us!
Don't hesitate: this is an excellent buy!
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UPDATE 1/27/2012: I am surprised to see that so many reviewers report issues so I wanted to add a couple comments:
Here, the dishwasher is going strong and it still looks as good as when we received it.

We have had one hiccup when we moved to Costco's Kirkland liquid dishwasher detergent: the dishes were no longer as clean as expected and it took us a while to figure out that going back to the tablets Bosch recommends for their machine would bring back the perfect performance. In the meantime, another liquid detergent gave us very poor results too (can't remember the brand?): it seems that this dishwasher should be used with tablets only.
Since going back to the recommended (is it Finish? It's the ones with the red ball in the center) tablets, we couldn't be happier!

I also noticed comments about dishes not being dry. I wanted to mention that we always use a rinse/dry agent (the washer indicates when it runs out). We have been changing brands depending on availability/sales so it must not be as important as using tablets. The only time the dishes are not completely dry is if you open the washer before the end of the program: it's a bit tricky because it sounds like nothing is happening anymore when it is drying; it is totally quiet but the display gives you a drying time.

I wish all could be as satisfied as we are...

This is truly a remarkable quiet dishwasher. It is a delight to use. And it is water and energy efficient as well. I only wish they had included the elbow, as this meant making an extra trip to the hardware store to get it. Otherwise, installation was straightforward.
Too bad I could not find this unit in a white finish as stainless steel tends to leave marks on its surface. With a white enamel finish it is easier to wipe it clean.
Other than that, nothing but praise for this machine.

I own a Bosch and I would say there is a 90% chance that you will regret your decision to buy Bosch within 3 years. Bosch is at the top of Consumer Reports - they have no shame. My Bosch dishwasher is very, very quiet because it hardly ever works. In the past 3 years, I have had to replace the Electronic Control Unit at about $130 a pop. Yesterday it pooped out again. I'm going to buy a new dishwasher rather than fix the bosch again. Bosch is completely unreliable. It is the most unreliable thing I own! I will NEVER buy a Bosch again.

The biggest problem with the Bosch is the Control Unit. Other problems include heater malfunction and the water inlet valve malfunctions. I have NEVER been so disappointed with any purchase as I am with the Bosch. For those of you who purchased a Bosch, and those of you who plan to purchase a bosch, you will want to keep [...] in your favorites.

Good Luck!

This is the best! We replaced our KitchenAid Superba with this and we are so happy we did. It was a bit pricey, but well worth it. Cleans great, library quiet!!!

Dishwasher didn't work. Seller refused to help. Bosch authorized service took 2 weeks to come. Two parts were faulty. Could not return, I no longer wanted this brand - had to have fixed. Maybe I got a lemon but the dealer and Bosch are terrible to deal with.

We received and installed this unit 09/11/2008, after several weeks of careful research of multiple brands, models and features on the internet.

We have been impressed with how extremely quite the unit is; it is actually somewhat difficult to hear running most of the time, in a quite house, and my hearing remains quite good by audiometry.

It does an excellent wash job; with rinse agent of course.

Because the unit does not use extra heat (and energy) to dry the dishes, it does not warp plastic cups, utensils, etc. like most dishwashers do. On the other hand, because plastic items do to retain much heat, they also do not dry in item locations which retain water; a minimal nuisance; just be sure plastic items are in position to gravity drain - of course this applies to all items.

Additionally, because the unit does not use extra heat to dry the dishes, it does not pour out lots of humid air into either the cabinet space or the kitchen like most dishwashers do.

The easy pull out and separable utensil baskets can be placed anywhere on the bottom shelf. This, combined with multiple other both flexible and durable lower and upper rack features, has made this the easiest dishwasher to pack with items which we have seen.

Given the extremely quiet operation, the door status display with states current operation and time until complete has been quite helpful.

Given the very low energy and water usage, plus low noise level, we don't mind running it less than fully packed on occasion if waiting for a full load is inconvenient.

Though we expected to utilize the delay start feature, as we did with the 1980 Thermador unit we replaced with this one, we have ended up not using delay start feature, largely because the unit is so quite.